Staple puller



May 15, 1945. H. w. PALMER STAPLE FULLER Filed Oct. 26, 1944 6 IATTORNEYS Patented May 15, 1945 NlD STATES PATENT OFFICE STAPLE FULLERHarry W. Palmer, Springfield, Mass. Application October 26, 1944, SerialNo. 560,417

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in staple pullers of the typedesigned for withdrawing the relatively small wire staples commonly usedin business olfices to hold a number of sheets of paper together.

One object of the invention is to provide a staple puller of simpleconstruction, which is economical to manufacture and which operates witha minimum of manipulation on thepart of the user.

Another object is to provide a staple puller of the character describedwhich operates with a minimum tendency to tear the paper in thewithdrawing operation. Other and further objects will be apparent fromthe following specification and claims.

The staple puller of the present invention is of the type in which thewedging action which draws the staple from the paper is applied from oneside of the staple as distinguished from the type in which jaws engagethe staple from opposite sides. The type to which the present inventionbelongs has certain advantages in simplicity of construction but, aslater pointed out have a tendency to tear the paper. Efforts have beenmade to overcome this difficulty without practical results, and suchimprovement as has been achieved has been secured by increasing thecomplexity of the devices themselves or their manipulation or both. Bythe present invention the desired results of quick clean removal of thestaple is achieved with an exceedingly simple structure which isoperated with a minimum of manipulative skill on the part of the user.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a staplepuller embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar sectional views diagrammatically illustratingsteps in the operation of the device;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view indicating the final step;and

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views showing modified structures.

Referring to the drawing ll! designates a handle member from whichextends a. blade H preferably formed of flexible material. Forsimplicity of manufacture the handle and blade may be made unitary froma single piece of flexible material such as metal or suitable plastic.

The blade is preferably of substantial length and tapers both in widthand thickness to a blunt end l2. The blade at and adjacent the end l2 isof less width than the span of the staple to be removed and widensgradually from the end H! to a portion M intermediate the end l2 andhandle H3 when the width of the blade approxi-- mates closely the spanof the staple. The portion Hi carrie a pair of spaced wedge members l5inclined forwardly toward the end of the blade. At their rear ends thewedges l5 have a vertical thickness approximating the length of thestaple prongs. The rear end of each wedge member I5 is provided with avertical projection IS. The lower outside longitudinal edges of thewedges are rounded as indicated'at H. The upper outside edges l8 areslightly rounded, that is, just enough to minimize the friction betweenthe wedges and the staple. v

In operation, the thin forward end I2 is inserted beneath the staple tobe removed, the blade being pressed firmly and flatly against the paperby flexing of the blade. The blade is advanced beneath the staplewithout substantial distortion of the latter until the forward end ofthe wedges is reached. At this point the blade has widened to nearly thefull span of the staple, the degree of transverse taper within theportion [4 being preferably relatively slight. As the wedges are reachedand the forward movement of the blade is continued the horizontal barportion 20 of the staple rides up the wedges, the latter exerting anupward pull on the prongs 2|. The relatively narrow upper surf-aces ofthe wedges engage the bar of the staple at its outer ends adjacent theprongs 2|. By reason of the spacing 22 of the Wedges and the narrownessof the upper surface of the wedges the friction exerted on the barportion 20 of the staple is made relatively small and the tendency ofthe staple to be carried forward with the blade is materially reduced sothat the main pull on the staple is upward. The rounded edges l'l causethe prongs 2| to be easily and gradually but rapidly straightened underthe upward pull exerted by the increasing height of the wedges until thebar of the staple is engaged by the projection 16 at which time theprongs 2| have been released from the paper and continued forwardmovement of the blade draws the staple cleanly from the paper asindicated in Fig. 5.

In order to decrease the friction of the forwardly moving wedges. it isnot, of course, necessary that the wedges be structurally completelyseparated; for example, a relatively shallow groove such as shown at 25in Fig. 6 formed between relatively narrow wedge surfaces 26 will Workequally well. Also, as shown in the latter figure, the means forcarrying the substantially released staple forward with the wedges neednot be formed on the wedges themselves but may be positioned between thewedges as indicated at 28.

It will be understood that the tool may be formed in various ways as bymolding, casting or stamping. In the latter case the wedges may beformed by bending up properly shaped edge portions of a metal strip asindicated at 30 in Fig. 7, the radius of curvature at the line ofbending providing the desired rounded outer lower edges of the wedges asshown at 3| in Fig. 7.

Preferably as best shown in Fig. 1 the blade extends a substantialdistance beyond the ends of the wedges. This not only permits theflexing of the blade to apply pressure to the paper to hold the sheetsfirmly during the removal of the staple, but has the further advantagethat the extended portion of the blade may be used as a paper cutter foropening envelopes and similar purposes. 1

What I claim is:

1. A tool for removing wire staples which comprises a handle, a thinflat blade extending therefrom and insertable beneath the bar portion ofthe staple to be removed, a pair of spaced narrow wedge memberspositioned one at each edge of the blade intermediate the free end ofthe blade and the handle, said wedges having a vertical height at oneend approximating the length of the prongs of the staple to be removedand slop-- ing gradually downward to the plane of the blade in thedirection of the free end of the blade, said 2. A tool for removing wirestaples which com-- prises a handle, a thin flat blade extendingtherefrom and insertable beneath the bar portion of the staple to beremoved, a pair of spaced narrow wedge members positioned one at eachedge of the blade intermediate the free end of the blade and the handle,said wedges having a vertical height at one end approximating the lengthof the prongs of the staple to be removed and sloping gradually downwardto the plane of the blade in the direction of the free end of the blade,said wedges engaging the lower side of the bar of the staple adjacentthe staple prongs as the blade is advanced, the intermediate portion ofthe bar of the staple being free of contact with the wedges, and meansat the high end of the wedges for engaging the rear side of the bar ofthe staple to cause the latter to move forwardly with the wedges.

3. A tool for removing Wire staples which comprises a handle, a thinflat flexible blade extending therefrom and insertable beneath the barportion of the staple to be removed, a pair of spaced narrow Wedgemembers positioned one at each edge ofthe blade intermediate the freeend of theblade and the handle, said wedges having a. vertical height atone end approximating the length of the prongs of the staple to beremoved and sloping gradually downward to the plane-of the blade in thedirection of the free end of the blade, the blade at the high end of theWedges having a width approximating the span of the staple, said wedgesengaging the lower side of the bar of the staple adjacent the stapleprongs as the blade is'advanced. the intermediate portion of the staplebeing free of contact with the wedges, the lower outer edges of thewedges and the adjacent edge portions of the blade being rounded tocause a gradual straightening of the staple prong as the bar of thestaple rides up the wedgesfand means at the high ends of the wedges forengaging the rear side of the bar of the staple to cause the latter tomove forwardly with the wedges.

' HARRY W. PALMER.

